Capitalism

First, keep in mind there is a difference between Capitalism and a token economy. Capitalism is a token economy system. A token economy is not necessarily capitalism. What defines capitalism alone in comparison to other token economies is the lending of capital for interest (Not that I'm a Christian, but it's funny how their stories say Jesus Christ was against usuary, yet Christianity's major bastions are capitalist nations.). Nothing wrong with that idea really, loaning people goods or money and getting back more than you gave.

However...

Whether people start with different advantages or start on a level playing field, and regardless of how it happens, in any society which allows individuals to gain fair or unfair advantage through hard work, cheating and stealing, genius, or whatever, you will eventually have people with different resources. Some will have more influence, money, goods, or whatever, than others. Those with the advantage generally try to maintain it. Why? Well, I know I want my kids to grow up in as safe an environment as possible, with good education. A bit of biology and evolution there. My genes are more important than yours, so I'll keep whatever advantage I can get. So gaining such advantages is natural, whether you live in a capitalist society, some other token economy, or something completely different.

Unfortunately, this leads to something else. Business and services and such are all different. If a private health care fund or a school is better than its competition, it costs more. Fair enough. So only those with the money can afford it. The wealthier people can get their hands on better education, health care, legal assistance, and more. This can apply over many generations. This leads to what Marx I think called Class Polarisation, which we see very clearly in the USA, Australia, and many other places today. Put simply: the poor get poorer, and the rich get richer.

Whether it involves any individuals or groups having nasty intentions to their fellow man or not, this class polarisation is an integral part of any system which places value on material wealth for the individual (not JUST capitalism). Whether the majority get poorer, unhealthier, less educated, and have shorter lifespans due to intent from the wealthier portion of society or they just happen to be the unfortunate roadkill of a socio-economic system which holds no malice toward them at all, the result is the same.

So is capitalism bad? Should it be abandoned? Well, until we reach some stage of development at which we can all have whatever we want by clicking our fingers, capitalism is useful for driving growth and expansion. Lending not for equal returns but for interest drives the borrower to grow and expand in order to satisfy the interest.

The problem? This system is now working on a global scale. This quest to expand, and to repay interest, is global, in a world with limited space and resources. With such a pervasive presence, such a system can only really cause more class polarisation while cutting back on returns from growth and expansion, which is now sorely limited. We're at a point of diminishing returns. More space and resources are needed if this system can keep its returns in order with its negative effects. Perhaps getting out among the stars? New worlds, new industries? But there's a problem. That costs money. Those who might invest the money want interest. And such expansion carries no guarantee of interest.